大象传媒

SCRIPT

Good morning.

If you鈥檙e celebrating a birthday today, you share your birth date with Albert Schweitzer born on this day in 1875 in the Alsace region of Germany., Schweitzer was the eldest son of Lutheran pastor and studied philosophy and theology at the University of Strasbourg.

One of the most striking things about Schweitzer is how he put the full gambit of his skills to work to make his own mark on history. He is known for his book The Quest for the Historical Jesus, influential in shaping the direction of theological discourse. As an organist in Strasbourg he was known as an interpreter of the work of JS Bach and wrote a study of the composer.

In 1905 Schweitzer began medical studies and became a doctor. His wife trained as a nurse to assist him and together they worked in what was then the Gabon region of French Equatorial Africa where they built a hospital. During the First World War Schweitzer was a prisoner of war and later returned to Africa to rebuild his hospital and add a place for those who had leprosy to live in safety.

In 1953 he received the Nobel Prize for his altruism, reverence for life and tireless humanitarian work. In a world where there is considerable need, suffering and conflict Schweitzer inspires as an individual who put all that he to good use because he reverenced life.

Loving God, may we reverence life by our words and actions and inspire others to do the same. Equip us and help us in this task we pray. Amen.